A round-the-world yachtsman is on his way to dry land after spending almost three days adrift in a life raft buffeted by strong winds and rough seas off the southern coast of Australia.

Alain Delord, a French sailor, was rescued by an adventure cruise ship 500 nautical miles south west of Hobart, Tasmania late on Sunday, a spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) told CNN.

The vessel, the MV Orion, made a 60-hour detour to respond to the distress signal and its captain said the rescue took place in "scary" weather conditions, with poor visibility and waves that swelled up to 3.5 meters.

"We were probably only half a mile away when we saw the raft," Captain Mike Taylor told ABC Radio.

"I mean it was just swallowed up in the long ocean swells. You'd see it bob to the top and then disappear."

5 photos

5 photos

Adrift at sea – Alain Delord's life raft is pictured adrift in seas south of Australia and shortly before his rescue by the cruise ship Orion